Football to Fútbol – The Indiana Dad’s Goal of Playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Zach Duke: The premier team in America. I have their largest reel.

Nate Spangle: That's

Zach Duke: nice. A a farm kid from Indiana.

Nate Spangle: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Can I do the right inputs that are going to eventually get me my output?

Zach Duke: Or do not let me move from this chair until you bring the fire and resolve back to be this type of a man.

Nate Spangle: In a perfect world, in your vision scenario, what do you have to do to get into the World Cup? From South Bend to Evansville and everywhere in between. This is Get IN the show focused on the Hoosier State and the incredible stories happening here today. I'm Nate Spangle, founder of Get Indiana, and I will be your host for today's conversation.

Aberdeen is Indiana's first agri hood and wellness lifestyle community. An upscale neighborhood in Center Grove built with one thing in mind, connection. The whole place is designed to bring people together, one of my favorite traditions. They've started the newest residents to move in, get a welcome crate from the last family who moved in full of fresh produce from the neighborhood farm, a few house warming gifts, a.

And a letter from the developer. That simple gesture sparks real connection. Neighbors meeting and real friendships forming. This isn't just about elegant homes. It's about living in a place where people actually know and care about each other. Learn more@aberdeenliving.com. My guest today is Zach Duke.

He is an Indiana native father of five, who after playing NCAA Division I football as a wide receiver at Liberty University, transitioned in early 2023 into learning soccer and is publicly chasing the goal of playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He uses his social platform identity World Cup Dad to document his journey in faith, fitness, and sport, aiming to inspire men, husbands, and fathers, especially in his Indiana community, to push past comfort zones and live with purpose. I'm really excited to dive into this journey that took you from Anderson University out to Liberty and now to a global worldwide platform pursuing the goal.

Of playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Zach, welcome to the show.

Zach Duke: I so honored to be here. Thank you.

Nate Spangle: Like, sadly addicted to the internet, you know, is this part of the job, right? Yep. Yep. Uh, has probably seen one of your videos, uh, where you like put it out to the world that, hey, I'm on a mission to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Yeah. Which is like kind of an audacious, wildly ambitious goal that a lot of people would be like, okay, relax. Or maybe people think like, oh yeah, this guy probably played soccer his entire life. Little did we know you're an ex football player.

Zach Duke: Yep. American football. That is

Nate Spangle: right. American football.

American football. Um, before we dive into this journey of World Cup Dad, the Instagram, you know, growing the social profiles, I think we have to start talk about taking risks and the path that led you here. So, uh, you went to Anderson University for two years where you were on the football team there, and at some point during your college career, uh, you decided to.

A large change. Let's kinda start the story there.

Zach Duke: Yeah, no, that's a great place because, you know, it's the, the risks along the way that kind of shaped, uh, who I am and just as a, as a person, as a father. So at Anderson, it's an incredible school. Like the, the friends I'm still friends with today, lifelong friends, um, amazing team that I played for there.

Everything was wonderful. Anderson, literally nothing but beautiful things to say about it. There came a time in my sophomore year where just Liberty University kept getting put on my heart and I kept shaking it off, shaking it off, but I couldn't. It just week after week it was there and I just spent a lot of time praying about it and, and talking to mentors and counselors and they just said, if, if this is something that you just can't shake, you really need to consider doing it.

And, and so after a lot of deliberate prayer, I just decided, you know what? I'm gonna do it. And I started sharing it with my friends and coaches and it was, it was genuinely hard. One of the hard, at that time, the hardest thing I'd ever done

Nate Spangle: were you playing.

Zach Duke: Yeah, I, so I played my freshman year, sophomore year as a receiver for the team and, and just in incred, two great seasons, you know, both for myself and for the team. So it was a amazing experience. So it was, I knew, it was shocking for people that I made that transition.

Nate Spangle: And then you said, Hey, I'm, I'm gonna go out there. So obviously you go through like the normal transfer procedure, right?

Zach Duke: Kind of, yeah. I mean, not, not really. I, I actually, I went and I got my transcripts and I, and I withdrew from Anderson and with my mom, and I believe my aunt drove 10 hours down to Lynchburg, Virginia, to Liberty.

They didn't even know I was coming. I wasn't even enrolled in the school. So it was, it was, uh, quite the crazy risk. And I just showed up on campus. I didn't know where to go. And this lady saw me in the parking lot and she saw that I was like, very, like, I, I was probably crying honestly, definitely feeling like, what am I doing?

And, and I told her what was going on. She said, okay, come with me. So we walk into this building and I see that we go to the registrar. I'm like, okay, this is the, this is the right spot. But then she bypasses the counter. I'm like, okay, that's crazy. So she goes back to the back offices. She takes me right to the dean's office of the registrar, and then she sits in the seat.

She was the dean, which is crazy. The first person I meet on campus is the dean of the registrar. She sits down, I give her my transcripts, she enrolls me into the school. She asks me what major I wanna do. She gets my housing set up. She emails all of my professors.

Nate Spangle: What did, what, what was like the conversation with your parents?

You just show up at this place, you know, they're like, okay, see you later. Like,

Zach Duke: you know, it, it was definitely a challenge for my parents, right? Rightfully so.

Nate Spangle: Didn't, didn't no one say like, Hey, maybe you should call ahead of time.

Zach Duke: Honestly, I'm, I'm, I'm trying to remember. It's been a while now. Um, I, I don't remember.

Yeah, I don't remember. I just, I'll just,

Nate Spangle: I'll just show up,

Zach Duke: right? Yeah. I, I just went in faith, but I, I know for sure I was not enrolled until I showed up.

Nate Spangle: Wow. So you go down there and you happen to get introduced to the registrar, like the dean of the registrar's office

Zach Duke: met in the parking lot

Nate Spangle: in crazy.

You get enrolled, where do you, like, do they put you in a dorm?

Zach Duke: Yes. They got my dorm all set up and then I was two weeks late to school. I, I missed the beginning of the semester. They emailed all my professors saying, Hey, he's two weeks late. Don't start anything in the last two weeks. Just start him day one today.

Like, so it, it was, it was miraculous. It was crazy. So from that,

Nate Spangle: that is nuts.

Zach Duke: From moment number one. I'm like, I'm supposed to be here.

Nate Spangle: Where's Liberty at?

Zach Duke: It's in Central Virginia. Like right. Nestle, between the Blue Ridge Mountains. Beautiful, beautiful

Nate Spangle: place. Yeah. Okay. So now you're a student at Liberty, you gotta go out.

Like, I'm not, I'm assuming there's not that many people from Indiana that go to Liberty.

Zach Duke: Uh, you know, not, obviously not as much as the, the schools here, but there's, there's a decent amount all over. They

Nate Spangle: had to make friends.

Zach Duke: Um, I knew a few people that were there. And so on the dorm where I was, I actually knew, I wanna say one, maybe two people.

The door. Did

Nate Spangle: you just get like assigned a random roommate?

Zach Duke: I did. Yeah. Like

Nate Spangle: that guy's, whoever it was, was probably like, oh yeah, I got a whole room to myself.

Zach Duke: He did, he, he had his room. And then all of a sudden I come in

Nate Spangle: two weeks in, they're like, who the heck's this guy?

Zach Duke: He, his name was Brandon. Uh, he was the most chill person ever.

So I'm very thankful that he accommodated me coming in late. Yeah.

Nate Spangle: So you come in there and now you're, you know, getting up and running with school and, I mean, this is the fall semester, correct?

Zach Duke: Uh, I transferred January.

Nate Spangle: Oh, so the spring.

Zach Duke: Yep. Yep.

Nate Spangle: So you have old semester, you're out there like getting used to it.

And, um, was it weird to transition away from football?

Zach Duke: It was like when I left Anderson, I'm like, I'm, I'm done with football. I'm going here. I'm just gonna work, work on my studies. I'm just gonna work on who I'm gonna be for the rest of my life. I'm like, that, that chapter's over. But that only lasted a couple weeks.

So a couple weeks in, my roommate was like, Hey, you played football at Anderson, right? I'm like, yeah. He is like, you should email the coach and, and ask if you can walk on. I'm like, no. They already had tryouts. It's too late. And I don't even wanna play. And the more I thought about it, I'm like, you know what?

I might not ever have this chance again to even have a shot. Like I, I don't wanna look back thinking, what if I could have played Division I football? I, I would rather be told no than wonder if I could have. And so I emailed the coach 11 at night. He emailed me back seven minutes later, 1107, say, we already had tryouts, but I'll do a private tryout with you, with our receiver coach if you can come on Friday.

And so I came and, and, uh, yeah, did well and put me on the team.

Nate Spangle: Wow.

Zach Duke: It, it blew my mind.

Nate Spangle: So like, and that's like two weeks, three weeks into your time at

Zach Duke: Liberty. So something like that. It was the first month for

Nate Spangle: sure. And how, like another, another one of these moments where. Your roommate happens to suggest it and like, is the domino that, you know what I'm gonna, I'll email the guy.

Zach Duke: Yeah, yeah. And I, I remember my very first practice, uh, we were doing what they called basic training in the weight room, which was just absolutely brutal. But I just had the biggest smile on my face. I'm like, I will do however many burpees and pushups you want me to, I'm playing Division I football.

Like this is a dream come true. And so just the perspective I had from not playing that my first two years to getting this opportunity, uh, just filled me with a lot of gratitude.

Nate Spangle: Do you think that it was like, you didn't think you could do it? You know, like at first you, you transferred to Liberty and you're like, you know, I was a D three player.

This is Division I. Like, if I don't really put myself out there, then I don't have to risk getting told no. And then like, oh yeah, the right things happen. And, and you're like, you know what? I'll just take a shot at it.

Zach Duke: Yeah. I, all those thoughts.

Nate Spangle: Have you always been a risk taker like that?

Zach Duke: I have, you know, and most of my life, I, I remember the first, the first time in my life I started taking risks.

I actually wrote down what's called the Impossible Prayer List. And I just wrote down all the prayers that are impossible for me, but possible with God. And, and that just became like a, a normal thing in my life as like, what is a prayer that can only come true if God comes through? And, and so that just be, and then I kept seeing them happen and so I, I kept asking bigger and bigger and bigger things and God kept coming

Nate Spangle: through, wait, take me through this, the impossible prayer list.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: So this is a list of like big, big things that could only happen with the help of God. Yeah. So you like wrote down a list of things. Yeah,

Zach Duke: it was, it was like, it was like one page and, and to be honest, I don't remember what any of 'em are besides maybe like a godly, incredible wife, you know? Yeah. I'm sure I put something on there like that.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. Or like, you know, you talk about like being a D three player Yeah. Playing Division I. Like

Zach Duke: stuff like stuff like that.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: And so, but what, what's crazy is even though I was a risk taker, I was always afraid. I always felt like I, I battled cowardice, but I, I confronted it by doing it anyway. And like, just taking the risk I got, I would always show up scared.

I would always show up afraid, but I would show up anyway.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. What do you, what's your advice or if people like are, are out there thinking like, oh, I want to take the risk, whether it is, you know, to put themselves out there, quit their job and start a business, or, you know, maybe have that conversation that's been looming over them that they haven't brought themselves to have.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: You know, like what do you think about as you go through these, these times where you have to put yourself out there?

Zach Duke: Yeah. Uh, I have a, I have a simple way that I think about it that works for me. Uh, one thing I do is like, I, I look out 50 years in advance and I say, what would I tell myself 50 years from now about this moment?

Would, would it seem like this is a big deal? Would this be worth the risk? And would the regret of not trying be greater than failing? And, and, and that's kind of like my immediate thought process. And if it's, if it's worth even failing. Then why would I not try it? Because you can learn from that. Like the only way you lose is if you quit.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. And think about like the times in which you have failed. Has it ever been as bad as your imagination thought it was gonna be?

Zach Duke: Never. Never is And that like

Nate Spangle: never once.

Zach Duke: That, that's the facade, smokescreen of failure is that, uh, it, it puts on your identity that you are a failure, but that's not true.

You might have failed, but you are not a failure. And I think that's the big thing that holds people back is they don't wanna be perceived either personally or by others as a failure.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. And it definitely keeps people, they're like, oh, if I don't try, if I don't put myself out there, then I never have to fail.

Yeah. 'cause that would be hard and that would hurt my ego.

Zach Duke: Yeah,

Nate Spangle: exactly. Okay, so time advances on, you're playing Division I football at Liberty. Yeah. Are you like on the team, like, oh, it's nice to this guy, good dude, like D three guy comes and gets a chance, pick up our water bottles, or like, do you actually get the opportunity to play?

Zach Duke: I got the opportunity to play, not, not as much as I would like just being a walk-on, but in my very first year being eligible there, like I made the 53 travel roster out of the 110 people on the team, which was huge. And so that most walk-ons didn't even get to do that.

Nate Spangle: No. Most walk-ons are like, catch the field goal kickers, like Yeah.

No, I, I mean, I was on the team at DePaul and like I spent a lot of time shagging balls for kickers.

Zach Duke: Right, right. No, I, I had a, a. Thank you to the Lord, but I had so much respect from my teammates. Yeah. Like, I remember all my teammates saying, man, you're, you're catching abilities 99 on Madden. Yeah. And that, that was just something, I'm not a big guy, so I took a lot of pride in, I don't care how hard you're gonna hit me, I'm gonna catch that darn ball.

I'm gonna catch it. I'm going to hand it to you and gonna tell you to hit me harder. Yeah. You know, and so that was just kind of like the one thing I could control is catching the ball. But, but at the same time too, I think, um, what endeared me a lot to my teammates is, is we, every Monday night, we would just have a Bible study on the team and I would just invite my teammates and, and I, I wasn't teaching, I wasn't preaching.

It was just team discussion. Yeah. And that really bonded us together as a team. And, and so just even on and off the field stuff, uh, really, I mean, these guys are some of my closest friends to even still today.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. And so you end up getting to play, which is crazy. Going from D three to Walkon to getting the 53 man travel roster.

Incredible. You end up winning. Two awards, I believe during your time there.

Zach Duke: The one I won for sure is the Vera Rock Royer Award.

Nate Spangle: Okay. That's all one. Okay. We had Rock. Yeah. This

Zach Duke: just

Nate Spangle: one word. We had Rock Royer Vera. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. That's just one award. Okay. That's one award. Uh, I was like, oh, I didn't know.

I'm

Zach Duke: like, am I forgetting one?

Nate Spangle: No, no, no. So one award, the Rock, the Mac Vera Rock Royer Award.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: What does that mean?

Zach Duke: So that, that's the top award that Liberty gives out to any student athlete. So it's for all sports and it's the one that's for athletic, academic, and spiritual achievement. And so it's the only one they award like in front of the whole student body.

And, and I'm pretty sure I'm the first non-starter to ever win it, which again, doesn't, that's sick. Doesn't make sense.

Nate Spangle: Like D three walk on, man. You're the guy.

Zach Duke: So I, I was humbled and honored and honestly I had to fight the imposter syndrome that I don't deserve this. Yeah. You know, and, and so I even shared that with the people that nominated me.

And they're like, no, you deserve this more than anybody. But I, that's something I have to fight constantly. Just one of my internal battles is you don't deserve this. You know? So that's, that's always been a struggle.

Nate Spangle: Your time playing football at Liberty reps up in 2011.

Zach Duke: 2010,

Nate Spangle: yeah. Okay. And you graduate in 2011, correct?

Yep. Okay. So you graduate in 2011. There's this time, I mean, there's a decade.

Zach Duke: Decade,

Nate Spangle: there's a decade between almost 15

Zach Duke: years

Nate Spangle: Yeah. For between 2010 and where things start to really heat up again and like this, like revival of, you know, putting yourself out there. Talk to me about what goes on during that next 10 year span, from the moment you leave Liberty, where you had been putting yourself out there, taking risk, taking chances until the genesis of World Cup Dad,

Zach Duke: one of the biggest changes in my life, 2012, married Megan, my amazing wife of 13 years now, we met at Liberty.

So that's a another amazing reason why I went to Liberty was getting to meet her. Um, but she got a job at a church in Dallas. And so after I, I actually lived in India for a little bit doing mission work there. When I moved back to, um, America, I'm like, I gotta go to Dallas or else I'm not gonna be able to marry this woman.

Nate Spangle: No,

Zach Duke: India. India.

Nate Spangle: I thought you said indie like Indianapolis.

Zach Duke: No, India.

Nate Spangle: So you lived in India doing mission work.

Zach Duke: Yep. So I was there for, it was like my final semester like study abroad type thing that I was doing there. Yeah. And then moved back to Dallas and worked for an amazing company called, I think there's, they're actually in a lot of schools in, in Indiana, but Boosterthon, like, they'll do character development and fun runs at schools.

Nate Spangle: Okay.

Zach Duke: Yeah. And so I did that for a year and a half. My brother did as well. Um, and then I took a position as a, as a missions pastor staff at, uh, one of the largest Baptist churches in the world called Preston Prestonwood. Okay. My wife was a worship leader there. So, long story short, in this season. Um, we're not making much money at all.

We're, we're living, um, in, in an apartment, but then we can't even afford that. So we had, in a span of two years, two families bring us in. So that was another huge moment is we had two families allowed us to live with them in their home for our first two years of marriage. So that was a, a huge miracle, blessing.

And gave us a car.

Nate Spangle: What,

Zach Duke: and we, we didn't ask for any of that. And, and so just even living by faith, taking risks in that season. Yeah. Just seeing that the Lord continued to provide. But in that season, in around 2014, I started getting really sick. And by really sick, I mean nauseous every single day. Uh, from, from morning till night, going, getting er visits, coming to find out like my stomach was completely swollen.

I couldn't, I couldn't work out. I couldn't even drink water, couldn't eat any food without being so sick. And so that's kind of when the spiral happened. Um, I didn't, I didn't mean to get out of shape and habits and disciplines, but my health was so wrecked. Um, that my mental abilities, my physical abilities just deteriorated rapidly.

Nate Spangle: What the world, okay. What, what was it,

Zach Duke: I'm trying to remember the, the term, the actual term, not maybe it's gastritis, but, but whatever the swelling of the stomach was. What? And, and so it was,

Nate Spangle: so like when you say get outta shape too, you're like an ex Division I football player.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: What does get outta shape mean for that?

Zach Duke: So, like, I was, you know, when I was playing football at, at my peak, I was like 198 pounds, but that was like 5% in body fat. Like, legitimately like

Nate Spangle: shredded up.

Zach Duke: Yeah. Like one, 100%. But now I'm 200 pounds and like 25% in body fat.

Nate Spangle: Oh, wow.

Zach Duke: You know,

Nate Spangle: so, yeah. Put on some, lost some muscle, put on some,

Zach Duke: some, he, so I'm, I'm looking pretty chubby.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: You know, at this time. And, uh, and I'm just like, mentally I'm just like, I'm getting to the point where I'm grieving that this is gonna be how I'm the rest of my life. I won't be able to play with my kids. I can't enjoy sports with my kids. I, I, I legit could not even do a pushup without getting nauseous.

One pushup, couldn't do it. And, and so I, I just got to this. I was just bankrupt in my mind. Um, I couldn't travel without getting sick, and that was largely my job, was doing a lot of traveling and leadership development training and missions work. I couldn't do that without being doubled over on a toilet.

And, and so I, I would just, I couldn't look at myself in my mirror, like with my moon face and swollen and bad habits and couldn't, like insomnia. I would be, I would go to bed at 10 and couldn't fall asleep till four and would feel like I'm having a heart attack and panic attacks just about every night for about four years.

Wow. I mean, it was, it was brutal, brutal, brutal and more than I've really shared publicly, minus a few close friends. I mean, it was, it was hard. Yeah.

Nate Spangle: This is the guy who was the, the star football player, you know, and you, and then you go and, and level up that and you go to Division I and you're like getting this award for being such a high achieving scholar athlete in and also having a great faith component there, and you find yourself just in.

Experiencing a lot of adversity there. Yeah.

Zach Duke: Like I, what I was feeling was despair, depression, discouragement.

Nate Spangle: And it's interesting that like, you go from not being afraid to fail, to like thinking, this is the rest of my life.

Zach Duke: That's exactly it. Like this, this is the rest of my life. There, there's no coming back from this.

There's no, you know, bouncing back. I just have to accept that this is it. And, and that was devastating.

Nate Spangle: Were you, who were you talking to about this? Like during this time, who were you trusting in?

Zach Duke: A few close friends, a few mentors, um, my parents. But that, that was really it. And then doctors

Nate Spangle: and it obviously, you know, faith is a huge component of your journey here, and it was like, did you ever get into that moment of like, why, why am I being tested this way

Zach Duke: constantly?

Oh yeah. I mean, I, one thing that I've always tried to be with God is just honest because he's big enough to handle it. He, he's, he's not afraid of my mess or anyone's mess. Yeah. And, and so I would just, you know, he, he's okay with me being angry. And being big enough to take it. And so I, I just always would just be honest with him about how I'm feeling and, and what's going on.

And, um, even in that time, I, I never felt like he left me, never felt like, um, he was punishing me. Um, and, and I just, every day I'm like, I just need to trust you today, and I wake up the next day. I just need to trust you today. Um, but it was a battle.

Nate Spangle: But it's like, it's hard to say that on one side and then feel just so hopeless on the other side.

Zach Duke: Yeah. I mean, that, that itself felt like an impossible uphill battle, really.

Nate Spangle: So like where does this all come to a head in a culmination at

Zach Duke: Yeah. I mean, the, the whole health journey is one thing to, to put that simply, uh, a couple things really helped. I went to actually a holistic doctor up in the Carmel area named Dr.

Pablo. Did blood tests, found some things that I was allergic to, massively changed my diet. So that was one.

Nate Spangle: Can we take me like through diet changes, what is that like? Where go from what to what?

Zach Duke: Uh, well, I found out one thing was I was extremely allergic to dairy, specifically American dairy. It's interesting, you know, if I go overseas, I can drink their milk all day, but the way that it's like processed and pasteurized here, my body, like I'm within seconds.

I'm sick within seconds. Um, and still, I still can't do dairy.

Nate Spangle: No ice cream.

Zach Duke: Uh, it has gotta be dairy free to go with the cashew milk.

Nate Spangle: That's not, that's not ice cream.

Zach Duke: It's not, it's

Nate Spangle: not. No. Yeah, that's okay. So no dairy? Yeah,

Zach Duke: cut, no dairy. Uh, I cut out pretty much all gluten, all processed foods. Um, and, and essentially it was just like a whole food, whole ingredient diet.

Nate Spangle: Okay. So like, you go like, what is like a dinner? Like what, when you figure this out and decide to make this change? Yeah. What do you start having for dinner?

Zach Duke: Uh, like grilled chicken, not grilled in any bad oils like avocado oil, um, and broccoli grilled in the same sweet potato. So really, really good food that I enjoyed.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: Uh, but I just, that's

Nate Spangle: not like that crazy. But I,

Zach Duke: it was, it was the snacking that, that I didn't know was killing me and, and had killed me over a long period of time to the point where even if I, like, it took me two years of eating healthy to even change. It wasn't overnight 'cause it had done so much damage.

And

Nate Spangle: how did you know to keep doing this if it took so long? I think that's the other piece. Everyone like wants to like, change their diet and expect that it,

Zach Duke: I, I didn't have a choice.

Nate Spangle: That's fair.

Zach Duke: You know, it, it was either this or live like this. And so I, so that was one component. Mm-hmm. Um, and then another one is that I just spent more time than ever just in prayer.

And, and I, I remember a specific moment that I think was probably the turning point. Um, I was in the, I was in the middle of a panic attack and if anyone's had panic attacks, they will relate with this because before that I thought it was fake. I'm like, that's not real. But it is so real, it's uncontrollable.

It comes on and you feel like you're having a heart attack. You feel like you can't breathe. And it is legitimately scary. And, and in the middle of it, I'm, I'm getting that, that I'm gonna die feeling again. And I just start crying out to Jesus as, as loud as I can in my living room. And I just felt the Holy Spirit speak to me saying, I'm, I'm right here with you.

I'm gonna be with this through you, with you and, and you're not going to die. And for whatever reason in that moment, I just like really believed it. And even though I couldn't hardly breathe, I just started worshiping God and it, and it didn't take it away. Like the, the panic attack went through like another probably 20 minutes.

And I haven't had one since. It was the last one I had. And my, my, I feel like my healing journey and my stomach being healed even started from that moment.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. What, what year, what like, roughly timeframe was that?

Zach Duke: That would've been around 20. 18 or 19, that's when that

Nate Spangle: started. So the journey starts to turn around a little bit.

Where along like the changing the diet and all of a, did you like start to feel better?

Zach Duke: 2020.

Nate Spangle: So it took another like year or more easy, incremental. Maybe you're getting a little bit better. Yeah. But like, was there a moment where maybe you, you know, could be more athletic or you could go, like, were you in the gym?

Were you working out?

Zach Duke: So, that's a great question. I still couldn't even really work out then. Like I would still, my stomach would hurt if I did that. So it probably wasn't until 2022 where I could begin to even work out without pain.

Nate Spangle: Dang.

Zach Duke: And, and by that time too, like if, like almost every day in the shower, if I would bend over, my knee would give out.

Like I, I couldn't do a single squat without my knees giving out. So my body was like broken in bad shape. This

Nate Spangle: is wild. Okay.

Zach Duke: And so now my knees feel about 15 years younger just because of what I've done the last three years.

Nate Spangle: And so we need to get into this point. So stomach starts to heal up. Do you start to feel better?

Like physically?

Zach Duke: I start to physically feel better. Still not sleeping great. Yeah. Um, and still in horrible shape, but because of all these years I had, I now have like really bad personal disciplines and, and really bad mental disciplines. And so like, I'm still going in the wrong direction that way.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

So a part of your Instagram bio says like, you start rock bottom.

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: Take me to the exact moment of rock bottom.

Zach Duke: Yep. So it was, it was December, I wanna say 22nd of 2022. I'm in Virginia. Uh, that's where my in-laws live. And so I was there for Christmas and I'm sitting in a coffee shop called Dope Pio Bunny.

And I, and I went there because I'm just like, I, I need a moment where, um, I can just. Do reflection on my life and make a change.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. I mean, like funny, like rock bottom at the in-laws house, like that probably checks out. Right.

Zach Duke: Don't, don't tell my

Nate Spangle: mother-in-law that that's, that's my quote, not his. That's my quote, not X.

Zach Duke: So, so I'm listening. I sit there, I'm like, all right, I need to listen to an inspiring podcast. That can really help me because in this moment, I, for whatever reason, it just hit me that I don't like who I'm becoming. I don't, I don't like the habits I have as a father. Yeah, as a husband, as a man. How many kids

Nate Spangle: do you have at this point?

20. 20. Two. Four. Four kids?

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: Four kids. And you don't like. It's the daily habits, the mental, yeah. Like the whole thing. Yeah. This is rock bottom.

Zach Duke: Yeah. I just feel like, um, and, and my life was great by, by most respects. Like, I, I can't even say that it wasn't, but I did not like who I was becoming internally.

I didn't like my, my mentality, I didn't like my habits, my disciplines, and I didn't like the, if I, if I looked out years into my life of being a husband and father, I did not like the trajectory. Like it bothered me deeply.

Nate Spangle: High achievers have this like innate drive to, and somebody can be like over perfection and like, you know, they're really focused on that.

But like, they know when they're not, like things aren't their standard.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: If you know what I'm saying. 100%. Because it's like, you could look at it and be, oh my gosh, you have a good job and a great family and kids. And it's like, yes, but like, am I giving every day everything that I have?

Zach Duke: Yep. You know?

And that, that's the, that's the perfect point because I, I wasn't comparing my life to others. I was comparing it to the standard that I know I should be living up to that. Yeah. That I had the ability to do. And it, it's a horrible feeling when you know that you're not reaching what you're able to do.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. And it's like, I think sometimes it's, people are like, oh, well, you know, you're still doing a lot. Or, but it's like, I know that I should be waking up earlier, going to the gym or doing whatever those like personal habits are and, and it's like, it's not necessarily that you're letting someone else down.

It's like, Hey, I'm letting myself down by not living up to my potential

Zach Duke: that, that, that's exactly,

Nate Spangle: yeah,

Zach Duke: that's exactly.

Nate Spangle: So you're listening, what's the podcast

Zach Duke: you find? Yeah, so it's a podcast called DadWork. It's funny because I didn't know the guy at the time. Now he is a friend of mine. Um, but it's this podcast, the, the tagline's amazing.

It's equipped to lead, easy to love and hard to kill, which like every dad wants that, you know.

Nate Spangle: Wait, wait, say that again?

Zach Duke: Equipped to lead.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: Easy to love and hard to kill.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. I

Zach Duke: mean, like, it's baller.

Nate Spangle: Yeah, absolutely.

Zach Duke: And so he had a guest on that day and it was the perfect, uh, it was the perfect concoction for me.

So this, this guest was on saying, why have we of dads accepted the dad bod? Why have we accepted the status quo of what it means to be a typical Amma American father? What, where are the dads? That are willing to push themselves to the literal edge to even know what their limit is, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, like where are the, the few warriors that's gonna to chart that path for their wife and for their kids and for their generations.

And I'm constantly thinking about generations, my grandkids, my great grandkids, and I'm like, what, what type of legacy is Zach Duke? Why, why? I go like, not even the rest of the world, but just for my family, my generations, what will they say of me? And so it, it was like a lightning bolt moment where I just, I just asked the Lord.

I prayed a dangerous prayer. I said, Lord, do not let me move from this chair until you bring the fire and the resolve back to be this type of a man. And it was, it was literally a, a lightened bolt moment. And, and so the, the resolve just came back. Right then and

Nate Spangle: there. Yeah. But I think that like a lot of people get really motivated.

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: And motivation is fleeting.

Zach Duke: So fleeting.

Nate Spangle: Whether it's, oh my gosh, like a podcast like this. Or it's like the David Goggin side of things. Like, you know, you can listen to this book and get really fired up for a week or two, or maybe a, like a month, but like,

Zach Duke: it sounds sustainable.

Nate Spangle: Motivation is fleeting and it's these habits.

Yeah. It's discipline and figuring out how to, you know, become that person. Yeah. So take me through how you went from motivation to

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: Discipline.

Zach Duke: Yeah. I mean, there's this, the question, what's it gonna take? And even in that moment, I, I didn't put any stock in motivation 'cause I, that was the continual loop, right?

That you, that you go in, it just doesn't work.

Nate Spangle: It's like gym memberships January. Yeah.

Zach Duke: It

Nate Spangle: doesn't work by, by January 15th it's like, all right, I'm out on this.

Zach Duke: Yep. And so I, in that moment, kind of what happened was, um, I, I began thinking about my time at Liberty and how during football. It was my best disciplines from sleep to working out to mental clarity.

And there's something about where you're doing so much that actually makes you better at time management and, you know, and so I'm like, but I don't wanna play football like that. That ship has sailed. And, and so, so as I was praying, the Lord has brought a crazy idea, which was soccer. And, and I remember thinking out, like thinking that is the dumbest idea ever.

I've never played before. Uh, but the more I thought about it, a couple things started to happen. One, I was going to South Asia that next month to be with one of the former FIFA directors of the region who is now using soccer as leadership development in underprivileged communities. Like, okay, so this is a global sport access to any place in the world.

The World Cup's coming here in 2026, Copa America Club World Cup Olympics in 28. And, and so it's one of the national, like you can, if you speak soccer, you speak every language in the world. And, and with our refugees, with internationals, with every community you can go in and have influence to change lives through the sport of soccer.

So I'm like, okay, there, there's a huge thing. And the second thing is, I, I really enjoy learning something new and soccer's a sport that I absolutely suck at, never played. And that excited me. I'm like, okay, here's something I can actually see progress in, and I can actually set disciplines in.

Nate Spangle: How, how does someone get over the mental barrier of sucking at something?

A lot of people refuse. Yeah. Because they're like, why would I wanna spend time? Like, I'm an adult, I get done with work, and I'm like, you know, why would I want to go take up something new that I'm not very good at? And like even put myself out there?

Zach Duke: Yeah. I, I think that is one of the biggest hindrances for people, because when you suck at something, the big fear is others will see you suck.

Yeah. That's, that's, that's a huge barrier because you, you wanna see that you can do something well, but that is the cost of entry. The cost of entry to become good at anything is to first suck at. And so one, one of my mentors told me, not, not in regards to soccer, but in like leadership development and coaching and training, he's like, Zach, you really do suck, but you suck a lot less than you used to.

And, and so just realizing that if you don't give up practicing something, you will get better. And, and so just taking, um, just, just accepting that you're going to suck in the beginning, that people will laugh, you will be humiliated. So day number one, I actually wrote this down that, that people would laugh at me.

I would be humiliated. It would be embarrassing. I would be afraid, will I do it anyway? So like I, I thought of all those things and wrote them down on day one and, and just agreed that I was willing to pay that price to do it.

Nate Spangle: And I think that again, it's just this little voice in our minds that are like, oh my gosh, like so and so's gonna see me miss this kick or whatever and be bad.

And then they're gonna think so negatively of me. And it's like, then you grow. Like, I think as you get older, you realize like, I don't know how many times have I seen an adult try something and been like. And really lingered on like, thinking about them. Yeah. Like, oh yeah, I remember that guy at the gym.

Like, it's like, no, like no one, like they might see it in Chuckle or whatever, but they move on. Yeah. Like, it's, it's so fleeting.

Zach Duke: And I, I would say too, you know, I would say, who cares? But I, I, I, I don't mean that in the David Goggins version. I, I mean it in, it needs to be actually put in the right priority.

'cause what I do care about first is what the Lord thinks of me, and then my wife Megan, and then my kids. And if those things are good and others think negatively, but they, but they're doing great, then my priorities are in order.

Nate Spangle: But a lot of times, like the average kid is pretty indifferent. I feel like, you know,

Zach Duke: most of 'em are,

Nate Spangle: like, most of 'em are indifferent.

They're like, they don't know. They're focused on

Zach Duke: themselves anyway.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. And they don't know any better, but it's like, but now they'll think something.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: Like they'll think that that's a little interesting. Yeah. And weird. But then one day it'll probably grow to, to like really appreciate that. Yeah. And you're, you gonna foreshadow that of like you're already seeing.

Them being willing to put themselves out there.

Zach Duke: Yeah. I mean, go, go watch Mr. Beast. First videos or any major YouTuber. Oh my gosh. Yeah, dude. Perfect. Right? Like they started somewhere and they're incredible now, but they're embarrassed by their first videos.

Nate Spangle: Dude. Everyone is like, I go back on even my profile.

I've been posted for like two and a half years or whatever. They are horrible. They're so bad. But, and my friends were like, this is an interesting piece. My friends were very much, uh, they're the best. They're very supportive, you know, but they were also like bro's trying to be an influencer. Like, what are we doing here?

The people who love you and care about you don't want you to fail.

Zach Duke: Right.

Nate Spangle: You know, so they're like extra protective. Like, are you sure this is a good idea? Like, he's really sure you wanna do this 'cause they don't wanna see you fail. It's, and sometimes it, it is them like being negative Nancy's or this, that, the other thing.

But a lot of times it's like they just don't wanna see you hurt and fail. So they're like, just don't do that. Don't try that. And once you like, I don't know what the mental. Barrier is there. Once you can get over that, just be like, oh, I'm gonna try new things all the time and not be very good at it. And I'm gonna laugh about it myself because I don't take it that seriously, but I'm gonna get better at it.

And

Zach Duke: yeah,

Nate Spangle: I really enjoy it. I love being in these uncomfortable situations. Yeah. It's really hard to train yourself to like flex that muscle.

Zach Duke: Yeah. I mean, it's only in the place of uncomfortability where you can grow. That's the growth zone. Yeah. So if you're unwilling to step outside that gate, you're just not gonna grow.

And, and I think that's the, the lie is like, Hey, it's safer over here. And on one on one side is true. It, it is 100% safer to stay on the shore and not get on the boat and go, go, you know, out to sea. Mm-hmm. But then you're never discovering new lands, you're never discovering what you're capable of. You're never going to new places.

And, and so I think it's 100% safer to do this. And so most of the time it's well-meaning for what people are saying. Yeah. But at the end of the day, um, I think we can show grace to people who have different opinions, um, and still pursue our dreams and goals, even, even if we fail.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. So soccer gets put on your heart.

Zach Duke: Yep. So soccer gets put on my heart, and, and so then I begin thinking, okay, well what's it going to take to actually bring that transformation and change? I'm like, well, if I, if I tell myself I want to be semi-pro, that's not gonna make me wake up at 4:00 AM every morning and start training like a madman.

Like it just for me, maybe, maybe for others, but for me, that won't do it. So I'm like, I need, I need the absolute most outrageous, hardest goal possible that's gonna push myself to become the best man, that husband, father, and soccer player that I can in the shortest amount possible. And so that's why I chose, like, you know what?

I, I am going to shoot for the World Cup in 2026. And I've had people say, well, do you mean it, is it a gimmick? I 100% mean it. I also 100% know it's not up to me that, that the odds is more likely to win the Powerball ticket. Like, I, I, I understand all of that, and I, I ran the odds from the beginning it was one in 800 million odds.

Like, that's not, that's not great. But what I thought about, is it worth it to try anyway? And so I tell people all the time, like, Hey, even if, if you're going to fail, even if you're not gonna make it, um, but if you're willing to put in the work. Then you're gonna go so much farther than you could ever imagine.

Even if you don't reach that ultimate goal, you're still gonna be so much farther than you can ever imagine if you focus on doing it the best you can, the most efficient way possible, condensing time and space to push yourself. And, and that's why I've, I've, you know, my wife and I, like, we already, we, we talk about how.

We've already won. If everything stopped right now, we've already won a hundred times over.

Nate Spangle: Yeah, I agree. And, and it's like by the classic, like, uh, what is it? Like the cliche is like, shoot for the, shoot for the stars. Shoot the stars, jo, land on the move. You know, like, and it's It is true. It is. I mean, the cliche for the, it's corny, but truth, yeah.

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What did the process look like? Like if you were like in a perfect world and your visioning the scenario, what did you have to do to get, and what do you have to do to get into the World Cup?

Zach Duke: Yeah, I mean, if you just focus on the macro goal, it's gonna crush you. So I had to break it up into micro goals.

And so I started thinking in three month increments. Um, and I broke it up even smaller to one week increments. And so that's, that was the secret sauce for me, is I made like, it was like 12 to 15 different habits, daily habits. I was going to track and check every single day. And I, and I've done it faithfully.

And so like, I, I would track when I would go to bed, when I would wake up if I did my morning routine, if I did my training, if I did my weight room, if I was a, if I was a a, I called it a dad up if I was a good dad and husband for the day, if I learned something new. So I, I checked off all these habits every day and I just knew, um, if I did these things every day consistently, I would maximize my growth.

I, I made my entire journey, not about making teams, not about getting noticed, but about maximizing growth, focusing on these disciplines. And I told myself, I'm not shooting for perfection. I'm shooting for growth. So like the first week, I think I did it like 81%, correct. Like, or all my habits. And so next week I'm not shooting for a hundred, I just wanna be 81.

And so it kind of gamified it for me, and it made me focus on the habits and the disciplines and not on the achievements. We, we can't make achievements or results happen, but we can focus on the growth and the process. And so I just honed in entirely on what my process was gonna be. And I never would've thought what happened next would come to come to pass.

But um, it ended up being the right method.

Nate Spangle: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. And so it's just prog. And I think this is the piece too, whether it's building a business, you know, putting out content or training too often we get focused on the thing at the end. That's right. And it's the dominoes.

It's like line the next one up. Take that one down. You know, if you're running a marathon, it's ran by the course of. 50,000 steps or whatever, you know, 40,000 steps, something like that. Right. So it's just getting the next one and the next one and the next one and getting a little bit better. And that way you don't, you think about after the first of the year when everyone has a new gym membership, they're not thinking about being 30 pounds down.

Yeah. They're just worried about, you know, can I get to the gym? Can I do the right inputs that are gonna eventually get me my outputs? Good. So how did you know that this was starting to work?

Zach Duke: Um, I knew that it started to work first for my body. Yeah. Be before soccer. Um, 'cause man, I was bad. Like if you go back, watch my first videos, like this guy is clearly never, why is this 34-year-old trying to play soccer?

But three months in I started noticing my body changing, my knees getting stronger, my joints getting stronger, my athleticism coming back. And, and so just a little momentum, like a little snowball rolling downhill that made me want to dig in even more. Yeah. And what's interesting is for the first five months.

Pretty much no one knew I was doing this. My social media was at zero.

Nate Spangle: Well, I mean, and also where did that point end of like, of documenting and tracking this whole

Zach Duke: thing day, day number one. Um, and, and I did that for a very specific reason, which was accountability. Like, I, I wasn't trying to go viral. I, I, I still don't wanna be an influencer.

Like, it's just a, it's not, it's not who I am personally. That that doesn't mean that I won't, you know, be with aligned brands. I'm not saying I reject all of that 'cause there's a real space for that. It's just not my personality. But what I did know is if I did not put my goal out there, then I could quit in the dark and no one would know.

I'm like, well, you know what? I tried, you know, I wanted to, I wanted to give myself every reason to not make an excuse.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: To put it out there. And, and so for five months no one saw it. No one cared. And so I think most people would've quit within those five months when there was no traction. And you absolutely stink.

Um, but I, you know, thankfully I just didn't give up.

Nate Spangle: So you keep going. You're documenting the journey. You're putting it out there, you're recording, you're in the gym, you're working. Where was the moment where you felt like, okay, this is starting, I'm starting to see the fruits of this labor?

Zach Duke: That's been such a progression, mainly because I'm my biggest critic.

Yeah. Um, like I, I've never thought, man, I can really play now because every, at every level I've continued to play with better and better players, you know? So when,

Nate Spangle: like, where was the first game you got into?

Zach Duke: My very first game I played in, uh, was a Sunday league, a co-ed, non-competitive league. And I was terrified.

I mean, I'm playing in a non-competitive unathletic, I don't wanna say unathletic, but just, but, but older, you know, just like thirties and forties. Yeah. They're just

Nate Spangle: people

Zach Duke: out there just having

Nate Spangle: fun. They're trying to just get some, some steps

Zach Duke: in and, and I'm just like, I, if a ball comes at me, I'm freaking out.

You know, like that's, that's where I'm at. And I think that was like in April and May. And so for the first three months I told myself, I'm not gonna play at all because I just need to work on the basics period. And, and that whole first season, uh, of the, the non-competitive league. I mean, I was, I was terrible.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: I was so bad. And it probably wasn't until year two that I started to think, okay, I can, I can begin to really do this.

Nate Spangle: Okay. So like what did the step, like you had to go from a non-competitive league

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: To then like getting in maybe a competitive men's league or

Zach Duke: something. Yeah. So kind of my, my, my three month that I kind of thought out from the beginning is like, okay, if, if this is gonna happen to make the World Cup, I need to go from non-competitive to amateur to pro to high level pro to give myself, to even be selected by the national team, even give myself a chance.

Nate Spangle: You know, it does sound when you, when you lay it out like that. Yeah. Sounds pretty crazy. It's,

Zach Duke: yeah, it's insane. Um, and so I played the non-competitive league and then I joined an amateur league, which anybody can join. It's not like I got picked for it, like anyone can play in an amateur league, um, as long as there's a spot.

But then I had a pro team from Brazil find me on Instagram. And say that they want to, they want to invest into my journey. They love my story, they love what I stand for, and I could come train with them for a month in Brazil with their pro team, and they covered the expenses. And so people accuse me of like, even like pay to play and it's like one I didn't pay to play.

Like I've not paid to play at any stage of this whole journey, which I think is one of the miracles, but two, that's really inconsistent with every industry in life. Whether you're a financial advisor or going to college or getting any type of certificate or real estate license, you have to pay for things for access or for knowledge to begin to do a certain type of a job.

And so I, I think, one, I didn't do that, but two, I think everyone really does that in the professions if they want to get anywhere. Anyway, in March of 24, I went to Brazil and got a train with a pro team. It was the very first professional, um, soccer field in Brazil. What it, it was like, it's a historic field.

Nate Spangle: That's nuts.

Zach Duke: And I was terrified.

Nate Spangle: I mean, did you have to, did you take your family over? Like, what did this look like?

Zach Duke: No. I, I went and then a couple o, a couple other guys, uh, went as well. And yeah, so we were with a team called naia, and we, we lived like right outside the stadium and went and trained every day.

Nate Spangle: I mean, you've already won.

Zach Duke: I've already won. Like I, I got, I got to train.

Nate Spangle: How long did that take? How many years of posting content or how many?

Zach Duke: Just over a year.

Nate Spangle: So you, you posted about something you went on this year, like journey and you got to spend a year or you got, and what were you doing for work at this time?

Zach Duke: Uh, the same thing I'm doing now. So I work for an organization called Biglife, which is a missions agency. So I do disciple making and church planting. And I'm, I'm one of the global leaders catalyst for them. And I've been doing that since 2014.

Nate Spangle: What? And they're like, yeah, dude. Like, go spend a month in Brazil.

Zach Duke: Uh, I mean essentially. But what, what's amazing about Biglife, I would encourage anyone to go look them up because what Biglife does is it's a lifestyle of following Jesus and helping others do the same. And, and they've gotta watch me live now for over a decade. And they know everywhere I go, I'm going to make new disciples, I'm going to lead more people to Jesus.

I'm gonna be faithful where I am. So we actually led one of the coaches of the team to Christ and, and changed his life. So everywhere I've gone, that's been part of the mission. Where, where

Nate Spangle: you go, no. Hey. Okay, so you go from getting to go to Brazil. You come back to America after that and you're like, now are you like competitive when you're playing in games?

Like, are you playing a lot of games? Like what is, take us through the, like, actual process of your development.

Zach Duke: So right after Brazil, uh, it was like a couple weeks later

Nate Spangle: and like, did you get embarrassed by the guys in Brazil?

Zach Duke: Honestly, no. I really, I really didn't.

Nate Spangle: So after a year you kind of could play Yeah.

You mean maybe not the star, but like you could play

Zach Duke: Yeah, I could, I could play like we were training every day and I was, I was scoring goals. I was, you know, winning balls. I wasn't the best player by any means. Yeah. But I, but I was, I was doing well.

Nate Spangle: Okay.

Zach Duke: And, and to, to the point where. You know, I'm excited to go out in the field and, and I'm getting better at decision making and passing.

And

Nate Spangle: 12 months ago he was scared about non-competitive.

Zach Duke: Oh, well I was, I was terrified to go there as well. Like, like showing up in Brazil. I'm like, what have I got myself into like this? These are Brazilians. Like these are the best of the best. And they are like, they're, they're in, everyone plays in Brazil.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: It's like how basketball is in Indiana.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: Soccer is, you know, big time in Brazil.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. Okay. So you're out there playing, you're holding your own.

Zach Duke: Yeah. Holding my

Nate Spangle: own. Yeah. If you score a goal on this is a pro Brazilian team.

Zach Duke: Yeah. So my, my favorite moment is like, one of 'em was just like, not mocking me, but like, poking fun at me.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: And, and I told him I'm gonna, I'm, I'm gonna score on you. And I get the ball, go down to the goal, score on 'em, hand 'em the ball, kiss it, give it to 'em.

Nate Spangle: Yes.

Zach Duke: But we, we were at the point of where, you know, we, we were having fun with each other.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. And like at first did you have to like, get some trust from them of like, who is this?

Why are we bringing this

Zach Duke: back? Totally, totally. And that's been at every stage. I've tried to make that a big point is like, I understand because of my story and journey, that it's not gonna come across, you know, well to everybody that doesn't know me. And so I've made it a point everywhere I've gone as best as I could in my ability to go above and beyond and honoring them, honoring their journey.

Um, honoring the dedication Yeah. That they put into it. Um, and just genuinely building good relationships. Like I've made it a point to get to know people's lives and stories and

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: And, and so that's made all the difference in the world.

Nate Spangle: So you come back from Brazil?

Zach Duke: Yeah. Come back from Brazil.

Nate Spangle: What is the next opportunity?

This leads to,

Zach Duke: uh, the next,

Nate Spangle: this would be 20, 20,

Zach Duke: 24. Yeah. And a couple weeks after that, I get a message from one of my close friends saying, Hey, we have an extra spot on our TST team, which is the, the largest seven on seven tournament in the world. Like ESPN airs. The, was this the

Nate Spangle: Soccer Tournament?

Zach Duke: Soccer tournament, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. So I got asked to be on the Indiana Hoosier alumni team. And so I, I played for, they're called the Hoosier Army 'cause they couldn't say Indiana Hoosiers, but it was the alumni team, which is the Alabama, you know, of football. Indiana is for soccer.

Nate Spangle: Oh really?

Zach Duke: Yeah. They're, they're the pinnacle of co collegiate soccer is, is, oh, I did not know that.

The, the best of the best. And so I, and, and I, and I, I'm a born and bred Hoosier fan, so it was absolutely wild to think, man, I'm, I'm playing on the IU alumni team. Like the, this is, this is absolutely, this would be anybody's dream in the soccer world in America to get to play with iu. And so the fact that they gave me the opportunity was just amazing.

And so that TST like Pat McAfee's there, they're air in the show, games are on ESPN. Um, some of the, some of the sports best players were in this tournament, like a guy named Aguero. Um, he's Messi's best friend.

Nate Spangle: Oh,

Zach Duke: played for Argentina, played for Manchester City, a guy named Nani.

Nate Spangle: These are like non non-current pros.

Zach Duke: Retired.

Nate Spangle: Retired. Okay.

Zach Duke: So

Nate Spangle: that was a weird way to say

Zach Duke: that there, there's both current pros and retired pros

Nate Spangle: play playing in TST.

Zach Duke: Yeah. Yeah. Both current and retired. Oh, wow. Uh, most of the current pros would, would be, uh, the pro indoor players, the Major Arena Soccer League players.

Nate Spangle: Okay. But there's not, like Lionel Messi is not in this

Zach Duke: league, correct?

Correct.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Zach Duke: Um, but I mean, the fact that Aguero played in it is insane. And Nani, who is one of Ronaldo's friends, played for the national team of Portugal, he's like really big, big time players.

Nate Spangle: And then you out here, the Instagram guy

Zach Duke: and then little old me, you know, just feeling like, why am I here?

And which that's been my question at every stage. And then from there, um, it was about two months of nothing happening. And so I'm getting discouraged and I think this is, this is a really important piece that people, when they see my story, they think I'm just taking these big risks. But sometimes the biggest risk is to wait and to not force something.

And, and so there was like several seasons where I've had to just wait and trust the Lord and not force something that, you know, so I've never tried to manipulate a circumstance. Um, and, and so I was fasting and praying one day in August, and the Lord put on my heart to call my friend Reggie. So Reggie went with me to Brazil.

His whole story's crazy. Um, like it transformed his life by finding my story, like it upended his life in, in the best way. So just one of the best examples of a life transformation from just knowing my story. But his brother, um, is one of the best players to ever play in America. He played for the US men's national team, played in the World Cup.

And

Nate Spangle: who's his brother?

Zach Duke: Uh, Maurice Edu is his brother.

Nate Spangle: Oh.

Zach Duke: He's one of the commentators for Apple

Nate Spangle: tv. Wait, what your, what's your friend's name?

Zach Duke: Reggie Edu.

Nate Spangle: Is, is there a Freddy also?

Zach Duke: Uh, that's so different. Adu and last name's spelled differently. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. So not, not related, but yeah, Freddy Adu was, was amazing in his time as well.

Nate Spangle: Isn't he Like a young, like the 16-year-old, like

Zach Duke: he was, he's

Nate Spangle: a beast. He, yeah.

Zach Duke: Yeah. Absolutely. He, he was like a prodigy when he was younger. Yeah. Um, and so anyway, I call Reggie and I'm like, Hey, I just feel like I'm supposed to call you and I'm fasting and, and I'm, whatever's next to my soccer journey, I know that I'm supposed to ask you.

And he goes, dude, this is crazy. I just started fasting today as well, and I was asking God, like, what am I supposed to do in this next season of my life? And then you called me, he's like, why don't you come out to California and, and we'll talk about this together? Can you come next week? I'm just like, absolutely, I'll come.

So I come out there and we're talking through things. He is like, Hey, you know what, one of my good friends, he, he's the GM of a pro team and he runs the, the US Pro United States team, like the pro indoor team. He's like, you wanna set up a lunch with him? I'm like, can you do that? He's like, yeah. So we go to Panera Bread, meet up with, with this awesome guy.

I just share my story and he is like, yeah, I know who you are. I remember you from TST. And he is like, and your story's incredible. It's one of the most inspiring soccer stories I've ever heard. He is like, and honestly, I would just love to have you on our, on our US team, it's like, how would you feel if I put you on the roster?

I'm like, are you serious? And he is like, yeah, I'll put you on the roster. If you can be at the game at the end of September in 2025, I'll put you on the team. And so of course I said, yes, you know? And so I get back in the car with Reggie. I'm like, did, did that just happen? And Reggie's like eyes as big as saucer.

He is like, bro, this stuff never happens. Like that was insane. And so I end up going, playing for team USA against Mexico out in, in la

Nate Spangle: like, and when you say playing, are you playing?

Zach Duke: So I, I'm gonna get to that.

Nate Spangle: Okay.

Zach Duke: I didn't think I was going to, I show up in the

Nate Spangle: locker. You think you're kinda like a figurehead, like, oh yeah, I'm here to take Instagrams.

Zach Duke: Yeah. I mean, I, I, I try to think of myself as a player, even though I know that there's that element to it as well. But like, I'm going there to be ready. Um, and I, like, honestly, right before the game, I'm throwing up in the toilet. I'm so nervous and I don't even know if I, I don't even think I'm playing.

I'm just like, I, I have my US jersey, I'm on the team. This, this guy played in the World Cup, this guy played, you know, for team, for, for Mexico in the World Cup and, and won a gold medal in the Olympics. And like, why am I here? And then I get in the locker room and I'm on the play sheet, like, oh crap.

Nate Spangle: Wait,

Zach Duke: what?

Yeah. So like, I, I immediately, it's like my soul just left my body. Like, I was just terrified. I'm like, this is. This is insane. I'm in Twilight

Nate Spangle: Zone. Because you were practicing with these guys and like earned your spot.

Zach Duke: Well, I, I didn't think I was gonna play.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: I, I mean, it, it was just a friendly, so it wasn't, there wasn't, it's not a game of consequence.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: And so I think that was, that's definitely one reason why they wanted to play me is 'cause it it wasn't gonna harm them. Yeah. Record or anything. But man, that I was,

Nate Spangle: and then like, how'd the game go?

Zach Duke: Uh, we, we ended up losing, I wanna say by, by a point. Um, but,

Nate Spangle: but like, did you, are you getting put out there and just like, people are just like, are you playing?

Zach Duke: I was playing.

Nate Spangle: You're holding your own.

Zach Duke: Uh, I would say I did. Okay. I, I didn't do bad. I didn't do great. And, and that was the only game of any game I've ever played. Where I, where I don't remember playing. Like, I, I, it was almost like I was watching myself from up above. 'cause I was in the Twilight Zone. It was just like.

Holy crap.

Nate Spangle: Where, where was the game at?

Zach Duke: Uh, it was on, at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

Nate Spangle: In front of how many people?

Zach Duke: Five, 6,000 people.

Nate Spangle: What?

Zach Duke: Crazy

Nate Spangle: This is nuts.

Zach Duke: Nuts,

Nate Spangle: okay.

Zach Duke: So from there,

Nate Spangle: yeah.

Zach Duke: Um, so this, the whole journey, honestly, has been one of faith beyond what I can like, uh, genuinely has because, um, right before we go out of the tunnel, the team, as most teams do, like, Hey, let's pray before we go out.

And they looked at me and said, Hey, Zach will pray. And I'm like, yeah, I would love to pray. So I, I prayed for the team and, and it was just a normal prayer, but I was just blessing each player and, and, you know, and praying, um, just for protection and, and you know what have you. But they all looked at me afterwards and like, man, that prayer was different.

And then after the game, they all came up to me again, like, man, that prayer was different. And then I get invited from there to the Major Arena Soccer League, combine. Where there's a draft at the end that's like the pro indoor combine. And so again, I'm terrified as well. So I show up and, and we, it's like three days and you play like three or four games a day.

So we were just dog tired. And then there's a draft on the final day, three rounds. And I'm thinking, you know, who's gonna draft me? I'm 30, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm like, 30 what? 35. Now why would anyone draft me when everyone else is so young here? And, and it was the same GM who also ran the USA team was there. And, and he text me during the draft and he is like, I'm gonna pick you in the third round if you're, if you're, if you're good for it.

And I'm just like, what are you joking me? So they draft me and I go up on the podium again in the Twilight Zone. I'm like, I just got drafted professionally. By a soccer team. And then, and then my next thought is, what am I gonna tell my wife? Because we got play in California. And, and so they told me after the draft that one of the reasons they drafted me is 'cause they saw how I was in the locker room and the team USA game and, and how I was a leader and the way that the players immediately respected me, even as I just prayed.

And he wanted that on the team. And so you just, you just never know what moments that people see that might open future doors that I would've never guessed. And all of that started from a prompting from the Holy Spirit to call Reggie. Like that. That's what dude, you, that's been the story of the journey.

Get drafted. I got drafted

Nate Spangle: professionally.

Zach Duke: Professionally.

Nate Spangle: This isn't like a, so this, at that point, it's not just like an instagrammy thing.

Zach Duke: No.

Nate Spangle: It's not just like, oh, you're an influencer deal. Like you are legitimately on a professional indoor soccer

Zach Duke: team. Yeah. So, so the way that that works is you get drafted, but you still have to then make the team.

So I show up for, to, to camp and they have like 50 players and I wanna say like 30, make it on the team. And so they even told me like, Hey, there's a, there's a good chance you won't make it, but come out anyway for at least 15 days for camp. I'm like, okay, you know, I can tell my wife I can be out there for 15 days.

But then the final day comes and, and I, they, they have the meeting set with me and they're making cuts and, and, and the GM's like, congratulations, you've, you've made the cut. You're on the team. We'll, we'll work out all the contract stuff later. It's like, are you serious?

Nate Spangle: What,

Zach Duke: like, are you, are you serious?

Nate Spangle: You make the 30 man team.

Zach Duke: So, so I'm, I made the team. Yeah. This was insane.

Nate Spangle: Who are you? So then you're on what team?

Zach Duke: So it was the Empire Strikers, which is, you know, one of, I don't remember how many teams are in the league, but the Major Arena Soccer League. It's, it's the highest tier of pro indoor soccer.

There's like five tiers of, of indoor soccer. And it's the, the only professional tier at the top.

Nate Spangle: What?

Zach Duke: Yeah. Insane.

Nate Spangle: So did you have to like move to California

Zach Duke: for six months? I, so they, they had a, the team, the team had amazing accommodations. Like they, the, the owner owned a hotel, so the whole, the whole second floor of this hotel they made into the team wing where they had the, a kitchen and a lounge.

And we each had our own individual room and, and training rooms and, and hot tubs.

Nate Spangle: How old is the average player on the Empire Strikers?

Zach Duke: Uh, so I wasn't the oldest, so that's, that's something. There was two people older than me. Um, but the average was probably mid twenties, I would say. So the, the youngest I wanna say was 21.

Most were in the twenties and there's probably four or five in the thirties, one in the forties, one of the forties. Played for the LA Galaxy, the one that was also my age, played in the World Cup and played for Team Mexico, one of the top Mexican players of all time.

Nate Spangle: Dude. And like, was your story like spread throughout?

Zach Duke: Oh

Nate Spangle: yeah. The league. Like did people like and did that make it harder or easier to build relationships with your teammates?

Zach Duke: Um, my teammates came, uh, it didn't happen right away. And so again, I'm, I'm going into this environment and I'm, I'm very aware of like who they're gonna be. Like, who the heck is this guy?

Um, and especially they all know my story because the, the league was actually using and promoting my page to promote the whole league. They even said they wanted me to be the face of the league, which was pretty cool. And they, and I was, you know, for the, the whole year in a, in a lot of ways. Um, but I made it a point from day one that I'm just gonna be the first one there.

I'm gonna be the last one to leave. I'm gonna be the hardest worker, and I'm gonna get to know everyone on the team. I'm wanting to know their stories. I'm gonna know their families. I'm gonna know how I can pray for 'em. And so with genuinely, with every single person on the team, we became close friends.

And the fact that we all lived on the same floor of a hotel, that's

Nate Spangle: kinda fun.

Zach Duke: So it's like back in college.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: You know, and so they, it, it was, it was the greatest experience. And our, our, um, every teammate, you know, I, I talked to several of them still every single day, you know, even during the off season.

And, uh, one of 'em just went, me, went with me to the Solomon Islands to a mission trip. Uh, so that was incredible. But anyway, it was, it was the best experience.

Nate Spangle: What, what timeframe is this?

Zach Duke: October of last year. And then the season ended in April. And so the season's starting up like camp is again right now, and I'm not on the team this year just by my own choice.

Like, I just, I couldn't go be away from family again for six months. And so that kind of brings me where I am now, which is, you know, God, I've played professionally now, now I need to make a first division team somewhere in the world. And if I do, if it's not in Indiana, my whole family has to come with me, you know, for, for a short season.

And so that, that's the, like, I don't know where, how this miracle's gonna happen or if it's gonna happen. Okay. And I'm trying not to force it. Um, and I haven't forced anything along the way. So we'll see what happens.

Nate Spangle: Wait, so what, what, like, gimme an example of a first division team.

Zach Duke: So first division in America would be the MLS, you know, and I, I don't know the names, a lot of the leagues overseas, like I was

Nate Spangle: Okay.

But this is like a, a top,

Zach Duke: top division in the campus.

Nate Spangle: The, the MLS equivalent of the world.

Zach Duke: Yeah. Yeah. So I was just, in New Zealand, I was talking with some of the New Zealand teams, like Wellington Phoenix, which is their top division there. So I, I would be willing, what I, I would be, I'd be willing, heck to even.

Get signed onto a practice squad to a high division team, just to make that next jump and to see what could happen from there. Like willing to do whatever it would take to, to make that happen.

Nate Spangle: My brain is just like scrambled.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: So you get drafted to a professional indoor league. I mean, you end up collaborating with the LA Galaxy.

Zach Duke: That's, that was crazy. So I, I have to give props where props are due. The one that made that relationship happen is a guy named Jack Downer. Dear friend of mine, he's the number one street footballer in the world. Um, so he

Nate Spangle: Street

Zach Duke: footballer. Street Footballer, yeah. Yeah. Uh, look him up. It's Street Panna on Instagram.

Uh, dude is a legend, like he's nutmegged Neymar. He's met just about every major, what is his name? Street Panna. P-A-N-N-A. And so he was one of my teammates on the empire strikers and just the most incredible guy. He was actually supposed to do a video with the Galaxy, but he was out of country in England working on his visa to try to get back.

And so he told them like, Hey, I can't do it, but you need to reach out to my friend Zach, uh, who's World Cup Dad, and he would be perfect for the video. So I didn't know what it was at the time. Come to find out they're making their video for the, the three minute video they show before every single game right before kickoff, which is like their feature short film that gets everyone hype.

And they ask me and one other guy on my team to do it. And so

Nate Spangle: why you guys?

Zach Duke: Well, because it was, it was Jack's relationship. They wanted him and then they didn't have anyone last second. And so he then advocated for me.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: So he, so he completely opened

Nate Spangle: the door, but like why, like what did they have you do?

Zach Duke: Oh, gotcha. Um, so the video itself was like showing how LA has inspired soccer all over the city. So they, they, we went to like 15 locations over the city playing soccer to show how soccer was, is like infused within the culture. And, and so then they mixed and mingled that with the, the pro players from the galaxy, like Marco Reus.

Um, and Johnny Nelson and others, um, Gabriel Pec. And, and so we kind of did those things together. So the first day we did all these different locations filming. The second day we were with the team and the pros doing, filming with them. And then, and then they invited us to the suite to, to watch it on, on the first game day.

And then from there, that's when I started building a great relationship, like with their, their chief branding officer, their marketing director, their PR director. And they kept inviting me back to do more. And so I just, you know, the relationships are everything.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: And so they invited me back. We actually went to the presidential suite.

With, with the president of the team. And, and they, they, like, this was, this was amazing. They, they said, you know what? We want you to go on the, the field afterwards and, and do some filming some content. We'll, we'll collab on it. So they went to where they didn't just go give me a jersey, they went to where they make their players' jerseys in house and they made me my, an official LA Galaxy kit that the same ones that they make their players.

So it, it was, that was so special. Get like the Duke, it wasn't from the gift shop, like it was their legit jerseys that they make from their team press. And so I go out on the field and I just do some, some filming and it just, it blew up. Like it's, it's almost 26 million now and it's the largest reel that the Galaxy has ever had, the ever.

And so that's another crazy thing is the galaxy, the, the premier team in America. I have their largest reel. That makes no sense.

Nate Spangle: That's

Zach Duke: not a, a farm kid from Indiana

Nate Spangle: who never played soccer. Who

Zach Duke: never

Nate Spangle: played soccer, soccer until you were in your thirties.

Zach Duke: I like, again, the same thing of like the award I got at Liberty.

I don't feel like I deserve it. And I think that's actually part of the story, that it's not about me. It's not about what I deserve. It's, it's about really what is possible when you believe, uh, when, when you know that it's not too late to quit. And so that's, I'm, I'm just hoping that my story, people can have faith in God like never before.

Um, like David and Goliath, like David didn't grow up in the army. David didn't go through the ranks. He wasn't a general, he didn't go through the training. He, he did not deserve to be fighting this giant 'cause He did not do it the system's way, but he, he had faith that if he stepped out and do it, this giant would fall.

And so that's really been my story. And I, and I hope that others can take major risks. I just seeing this as well.

Nate Spangle: This is truthfully insane.

Zach Duke: It is, it is.

Nate Spangle: So what comes next?

Zach Duke: That's, that's the question. Uh, the real answer is I don't totally know. And I think that's part of the struggle of Russell is, um, I'm, I don't want to force this next step.

I, I know the next step needs to be, or at least I think it needs to be to play for a top division team somewhere. Um, but you know, there could be other surprises along the way as well. But now I have a great relationship with FIFA as well. They're starting to invite me out to events already leading up to the World Cup.

So who knows? May, maybe I'll get a chance for the World Cup. Maybe they'll make me the chaplain for the team. I, I don't know. Hey, I, I'm, I'm, go on. I'm open to anything, um, that would just help culminate this vision. Yeah.

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Learn more@accountedforcpa.com and tell them the Get IN team sent you. Does training in playing still take priority? Acting like a player or is it like media marketing, chapel, like other, these other side, like are you still motivated to do your daily disciplines?

Zach Duke: Yes.

Nate Spangle: Like, talk me through that. Like, when you get to be, you know, filming contact with the LA Galaxy, it's like, well, why the heck do I need to wake up and kick a soccer ball?

I could just like, make more videos.

Zach Duke: Yeah. That, that's an amazing question. Um, from my perspective and from what I want to do, I'm pushing myself to keep training hard every day. I have increasing voices around me that wanna make it about the media and marketing, but that's not necessarily what I want to do.

And so that's the tension is like, you know, I've, I've had people like, you need to do a book, you need to do a movie. Netflix needs to do it. I'm like, man, they can if they want, but that's not why I'm doing this. You know, that, that's not my, my heart behind it. And so, like for me, making those videos and other things are the necessary evil.

Uh, and that's not the right way to put it. It's not a necessary evil. But it, it helps the journey. Communication is getting the right message to the right people at the right time, you know? And so, uh, I would encourage anybody in what they're doing, why would you not push yourself to maximize every avenue and advantage that you can?

So I think, I think you need to do it. And, and frankly, I need to want to do that more. Yeah. I, I need to, but that's been the tension for me is I just want train.

Nate Spangle: Well I think the other piece about it is, it's crazy. Like you gotta find the thing that's crazy.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: And go start chasing that down.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: If I think about a lot of these normal, relatively normal people on the surface that have turned, that their stories have gotten picked up and they've done crazy things, they like went, started this mission, this journey to do something that makes the average person say like what the world.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: You know, like, I think, um, a big one is Cameron Haynes. He's a bow hunter from Oregon. He's also an ultra marathoner.

Nate Spangle: Oh.

Nate Spangle: So, and he. Was working at the water plant up in his hometown in Oregon, and he just started running to train to be the best bow hunter possible. He would run between a half marathon and a marathon every morning before work.

Zach Duke: Holy moly.

Nate Spangle: And he did it for like, for an extended like, not like a week, not like a month, like for an extended period of time. Yeah. This guy was running 13 miles before work every day.

Zach Duke: What a legend.

Nate Spangle: And he just like, and it was not in the it to win a race. Yeah. It was because I can have the most success bow hunting the deeper I get into the woods.

And so I need to be able to like, get deep into the woods. I need to be able to pack out what? Yeah. And like be able to train. See,

Zach Duke: it's, it's those goals that push you beyond your limits. Like, it, it's the deeper not motivation, but the, the deeper why.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: That, that keep you in it when it's hard. 'cause like the question is like, what's going to make you quit?

What's gonna make it where it's too hard? Where you say, you know what, that's enough, you. And your, your why needs to be so real to you. Yeah. That you can push through those boundaries.

Nate Spangle: Has there been a moment along this journey where you wanted to give up

Zach Duke: many times? I mean,

Nate Spangle: many times. Is there one that sticks out where it was like you were close to saying like, screw this.

Like I'll just, I'll just do a normal people stuff.

Zach Duke: I have not gotten that far and, and mainly because of my wife. On the days when I've been down, she's like, oh, no, no, no, you're not quitting. Get back up. I, the, the husband that you're becoming, I love and you need to commit to this and you're doing this. So she, she's been the number one cheerleader.

So like, she, thankfully she doesn't let me get too down.

Nate Spangle: Has there been a moment where your kids have looked at you and said, dad, this is so cool?

Zach Duke: Oh, yeah. Oh yeah.

Nate Spangle: Like, what was the moment where you were like, man, it's, it's getting through. Like, my kids are seeing this example that I'm setting.

Zach Duke: So two moments that stick out to me, one.

Is my son came to man, he who's six years old, uh, sorry, just turned seven. And he came to my wife and I, and he is like, um, hey, I just wrote out my, my daily routine. I was like, what? We never told him to do that. I don't even know if I ever showed him mine. But people do what they see, not what they hear. And so because my life changed in the home, starting from the home, my kids pick up on that.

So seeing that now he wants to cultivate habits and disciplines and he's doing it. Yeah. And then another one is seeing my kids. Like I just woke up one day and my daughter was outside running laps around the house. I'm like, what are you doing? She's like, I need to start training. You know, so simple things like that where everything that they see me doing, they wanna emulate, and, and that's, that's for better or for worse.

And so I might as well have good models that I have. And, and I, I've straight up asked them because I get, you know, as you can imagine, if, if you try to do anything of significance, you're gonna have increasing amount of haters. That's part of the territory. And, and so I had one person, um, just say, how's it gonna feel one day when, when you wake up and your kids see that you're a total failure?

And, and I just laughed and I was right next to my kids and, and my, I just read it out loud to 'em, like, Hey, kids, how, how would you feel if dad, daddy totally failed, didn't make the World Cup, and everyone thought I was an idiot? They would say, so. That's what they said. I'm like, perfect.

Nate Spangle: There you go.

Zach Duke: Perfect.

Nate Spangle: That is the unfortunate piece is so many people are quick to have the, the keyboard fingers. Yeah. And uh, and those are the people that also are not willing to put themselves out there.

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: They're not willing to, you know, dream crazy.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: Shoot for the stars and end up on the moon.

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: Truthfully, man.

Zach Duke: And, and what's been encouraging to me, I would say it's probably about 80 20, like 80% of people in the soccer world have been so encouraged and encouraging to me, like, keep going. Probably 20 ish percent have not, but what I've seen is people that have played at the top levels have been the most encouraging.

Like the most encouraging, keep going. This is incredible. Th these are stories that we need. I haven't had one person at the top level

Nate Spangle: say different. Yeah. And it's like, it's the classic, uh, don't let the hate from people you wouldn't ask advice for, you know, affect you.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: It's like, oh, if I'm like, why am I gonna let your opinion of this?

Or like your thoughts, it's like, I wasn't asking you for advice anyway. Yep. It's like, but you know, if.

Nate Spangle: It's

Nate Spangle: part of it. I don't know if whoever the, if Ronaldo starts, like commenting on yourself saying, quit, like, okay,

Nate Spangle: I, I would be like, freaking Ronaldo's talking to me.

Zach Duke: This is amazing.

Nate Spangle: But No, but it's like they won't do that.

They won't just like, you're not going on the high school soccer player saying like, give up your dreams of the World Cup, dude. Like,

Zach Duke: yeah,

Nate Spangle: no,

Zach Duke: like when people say be realistic. Okay, great. I, I, I understand that, but I, I'm gonna cheer on anybody who puts in the work for their dream. Why, why would I want to tear that down?

Even if you fail miserably, if you're, if you're like the bow hunter, if you're willing to put in the work to do something, I'm ready to champion that dude.

Nate Spangle: And a lot of it comes from just being silly enough to keep going. It's, it kinda, it's just being crazy enough to like keep going and find, and yes, the, what you say in the beginning, like, I'm on a mission to do blah, blah, blah.

It might not end up exactly the way that you think it will. Yeah.

Zach Duke: Rarely it will.

Nate Spangle: It rarely. But like. It can open doors that you never even expected. Yeah. It can get you places, like you could end up at the end of this when you retire. 'cause you'll have to retire. Yep. From your professional career.

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: You could become, I don't know, like the chief marketing officer of the MLS.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: Like they could come and say, hey, your story, or you could become the, a spokesperson, a commentator on Apple TV for the MLS.

Zach Duke: Yeah. At this point it's not farfetched. 'cause I have relationships in both

Nate Spangle: of those pieces. You know, that's not that crazy.

Zach Duke: It's not.

Nate Spangle: But if, you know, five years ago, they would've said, yeah, you know, I'm gonna end up like chatting it up with the greatest soccer players in the world.

And like, you know, filming with the LA Galaxy, people would've looked at you like you had a head grown outta your neck.

Zach Duke: Oh, if, if you would've told me three years ago, all that would've happened up until this moment. I would've been like, you're out of your mind. There's no way all of that happened. Like,

Nate Spangle: and it wouldn't have happened if you would've posted three times and given up,

Zach Duke: it wouldn't have 100%.

And I probably would still be stuck in the same bad habits. I would regret quitting.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: But I will never, ever, ever regret regret not quitting and seeing this three, no matter how it's, yeah. I just won't.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: Because

Nate Spangle: how do you think it ends?

Zach Duke: The two main things that have really struck me on this journey is this one is the relationships I've built along the way.

I cannot imagine not having the relationships I have now of people I call my dearest friends if I would've not taken this risk. Yeah. So if you don't, like, you might only see A to B, but if you don't move to B, you'll never cc.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: And that's, that's, that's real. And so the relationships I have now are huge.

But something I've asked everywhere I've gone is like, Hey, what, what's one thing you wanna see changed just in soccer in general in America, because I'm coming from the football perspective. I think more football, people, basketball people need to get on board with this beautiful sport. Why would you not, as a soccer community, want an outsider to say, Hey guys, this is awesome.

We need to come, like, know what this sport is because we're over here in basketball and football. Keep loving that. Keep doing that. But check this out too, like, I'm an outsider saying that. This is amazing. These guys are incredible athletes. But the biggest, uh, burden and, and roadblock I see is, is that the sport is so expensive for the youth.

It's so expensive. And so there's this massive gap between people that actually get to play the sport at a high level when you're, you know, 10, 12, 13 years old. So I think my long-term play that would be super meaningful to me, and we've already started this, I'm six months into it, have already hired two people to be part of this team.

But we're calling it anyone's game. And anyone's game is a way for everyone to be the solution. For everyone to subsidize the, the prices for team players and to scholarship less fortunate kids who don't get to play. For me to open the door of access for people is the dream.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. I will say youth soccer, that's youth sports in general.

In general. It's just crazy. Yeah. But like when you think about it's like I only really need is a ball.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: And some gold.

Zach Duke: Yeah. But I, I mean it is, it's

Nate Spangle: not like you

Zach Duke: gotta, it's outrageously expensive.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: And, and I don't wanna throw any shade at clubs or directors because they didn't build the system. I, I actually know the opposite is true.

That they want to be, they want to help, they wanna be part of the solution. And, and so we've been building this program now that clubs can be a part of, municipalities, can be a part of, churches can be a part of where if everyone just gives a dollar, they can be the one and have a dollar donation over, like using my audience of almost 140,000 people.

Know to say if everyone just gives a little bit to this, we can impact thousands of kids.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: Like, and that's only gonna continue to grow.

Nate Spangle: Absolutely. I love it. Dude. It's an incredible story Thus far. I'm really ex where when are selections for the World Cup,

Zach Duke: by and large, a lot of that is happening, is already happening based on just like the, the coach and, and the teams that you're on and the different qualifications.

And so it's looking really, really tough for me right now, just to be straight up honest. Yeah. And, and so most people would say, Zach, see it's already too late. But I just, I just think that there's always a way that people don't see there's, there's always another way. And, and so like what, whatever that way is like people can make, well this is the way that it's always done.

Why is it always done that way? If that, if that coach can make a decision later on, can he do it well? Yeah, technically he can. Yeah. You know, but, so anyway,

Nate Spangle: let's say you were an honorary captain for one of the early games, and you got to just like go out and be there. Yes. That's not the original goal, but that's still so

Zach Duke: cool.

Why? Why would I not be insanely pumped? Yeah. To not do that. Why, why, why would

I

Nate Spangle: look? Why would anyone be like, oh my gosh, you did all this work and you only became the honorary team captain for a

game?

Zach Duke: They, they would, they would say that, but yeah.

Nate Spangle: Oh, absolutely. You

Zach Duke: would.

Nate Spangle: Crazy.

Zach Duke: But I would, but I would do that with so much, like, that would be, that would be the, just a cherry on top

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: Of the journey

Nate Spangle: and above it all three years of this, you're a, you're a different person.

Zach Duke: Totally different person.

Nate Spangle: Like do you, when your wife looks at you and says, you are becoming the husband, you're becoming the father, or, I really like this version of you, or, I like who you are becoming. Yeah. I think that was the quote you said.

Yeah. Like. Well, yeah. Why would you stop?

Zach Duke: Yeah. And, and I'm not like, even after quote unquote retire from soccer, I'm not gonna stop with these habits, these disciplines training. Like one, one of my long-term goals is I wanna be able to sprint when I'm 90.

Nate Spangle: Run a five second 40 when you're 90. That would be crazy,

Zach Duke: that, that would be nuts.

I, I'd be happy with a six second probably when I'm 90. Um, but with that goal in mind, I'm thinking generationally. So I want, I wanna continue to have big goals. Dude you out and

Nate Spangle: cooked your grandson, great grandson. When you were 90.

Zach Duke: Bring it on.

Nate Spangle: Come on. That would be wild. Come on. I love it, dude. This has been so fun.

We've come to the end of the show where we have a few of our segment questions, where we talk all about the state of Indiana.

Zach Duke: Yes.

Nate Spangle: This first question is brought to you by our friends at J.C. Hart. They are a leader in creating enjoyable living experiences at apartment communities all across Indiana and beyond.

Check them out at homeisjchart.com. My question for you, Zach, why do you call Indiana home?

Zach Duke: Oh, easy. I, I, I love being the best salesman of Indiana to my friends. So it's a, it's a day's drive from two thirds of America. It's some of the most beautiful land sunsets, best people like where we live. We're close to the city, the suburbs and the rural area have the best airport in the country, the best, you know, food in the country, the zoo.

I went there this week, top rated zoo, and I mean, so many good things to say. IU football's on fire right now. Uh, Notre Dame Purdue. I mean it, we have so many things going for our state, but at the end of the day, my family's been here for eight generations, nine generations now, and, and there's just no place like home, no place like Hoosier hospitality.

Nate Spangle: Nine generations. Incredible. I love that, man. You talk about the daily disciplines and the daily routine and the daily habit. What are a couple pieces of advice that you have for someone out there that's looking to level up their daily routine?

Zach Duke: If you're looking to do that, you're probably in a place of a little bit discouragement.

And so whatever your macro goal is, break that up into small micro goals and, and don't try to hit them perfectly. So what are five daily things that you can write down today that if you do these five things every day for the next month. Will radically change your life. It could be, you know, eating whole foods.

It could be waking up an hour earlier. It could be just showing up at the gym and all you're doing, you're, you're just checking the box. Just check that you did it at the end of each week. Give yourself a percent on what you did and then try to beat that that next week Yeah. Of those five. So if you just do that, it, it'll change

Nate Spangle: it.

So let's look at that. If it was five habits

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: If you picked five things seven days a week, there'd be 35, 35 check marks that you're looking for.

Zach Duke: Yes.

Nate Spangle: Let's say you get 20 week one, try to get 21, week two, try to get 25 week three, and just keep building up post check marks.

Zach Duke: Yep.

Nate Spangle: I love that.

Zach Duke: Yeah. You, you, it, it's a, it's gam fireable.

It's doable and you can focus on the process and not the result.

Nate Spangle: Yeah, man. What's the craziest thing you've learned about soccer thus far along your journey

Zach Duke: in Argentina where there is a lot of fierce rivalry and even like death threats, um, that I have friends that were in Argentina that used it to broker peace between entire cities.

So that was a really cool thing I learned about soccer. Um, it is the

Nate Spangle: world's game, right?

Zach Duke: It's the world's game. And then another thing I've seen in Africa and Asia, that they're using it to get kids out of poverty. Um, out of violence. And so just using, just using it for community development Yeah. Is one of the best tools.

Nate Spangle: I don't know if they're doing more spinoffs or whatever, but a cameo and a Ted Lasso episode

Zach Duke: would be Oh, that would be dream would

Nate Spangle: be phenomenal.

Zach Duke: Well, so, so one of the, the, the, uh, football is Life guy.

Nate Spangle: Yeah.

Zach Duke: Followed me.

Nate Spangle: Danny Rojas.

Zach Duke: Yeah. Danny Rojas. I, it's like life, like journey's done.

Nate Spangle: There you go.

Zach Duke: Journey is done. Like football is, life has followed me. So

Nate Spangle: let's see

Zach Duke: if, if you watch this Danny Rojas. Hey, get me on the, on the next show.

Nate Spangle: Yeah. Yeah. Just a cameo. Like,

Zach Duke: just, just a cameo.

Nate Spangle: It's like you pop up and I go shooting a TikTok with like, that would be

Zach Duke: you. You could even kick me in the face. I'll do

Nate Spangle: whatever.

Yeah. I love that. Not Meg, me. That would be so funny. Alright, um, these are the same three questions we ask everyone who comes on the show, all about the state of Indiana. So soccer is the world's game, and as you're traveling the world and people are hearing about you, being from Indiana, what's something the world needs to know about Indiana?

Zach Duke: Besides, we have the best pork tenderloins in the world come out. There's the absolute best. I would say. We have the best, the best fan base in America, like our, our fanatics for, for the Colts, for the, the Hoosiers, Purdue, Notre Dame, the Pacers not and the Pacers. Yeah. I can't forget the Pacers. Um, not only the best fans, but the Classiest fans.

Nate Spangle: Ah, there we go. Absolutely. Amen. Next, this is your chance to share a little love about a place that more people in the state of Indiana need to know about. What is a hidden gem in Indiana?

Zach Duke: Main Street Coffee in Spencer, Indiana. Number one coffee shop in the state. Hands down. How

Nate Spangle: did you find this?

Zach Duke: So we found it going to Cataract Falls, which is a really cool waterfall spot.

And about 20 minutes away is this coffee shop. And I'm, I'm telling you like makeshift new menu every day, homemade food, the best coffee. And it's run by a single family where the, the husband and the wife and the kids all work there, the most incredible people. And, and so if you're like, oh my

Nate Spangle: gosh,

Zach Duke: it's worth gonna

Nate Spangle: this place.

Gosh, they have, they have like a brown paper where they roll. Yes. Roll it down every day. Every day. And they write new specials. That's right. Oh my gosh, that's so cool.

Zach Duke: I, I'm an absolute coffee snob and I'm telling you, it's the number one coffee shop in Space

Nate Spangle: Main, the state, main Street Coffee in Spencer.

I've driven past this before. Have

Zach Duke: you?

Nate Spangle: It's right by, it's like a block off their town square.

Zach Duke: It's right on the square.

Nate Spangle: It's, yeah. Right on

Zach Duke: the

Nate Spangle: square. Like Right. Okay. I've definitely, 'cause I, I was going to Spencer's pretty close to McCormick's Creek. Yes. Also

Zach Duke: Uhhuh.

Nate Spangle: Wow. Main Street Coffee, Spencer, Indiana that I've never got that one before.

Great. Hidden Gem. Finally, this is your chance to share the love with, uh, someone across the state that, that more people need to know about. These are where we get guest recommendations, things like that. Who's a Hoosier? We need to keep on our radar. Someone who's doing big things.

Zach Duke: DaMarcus Beasley up in Fort Wayne, who's probably, uh, he played in the World Cup, played for the US Men's national team.

Probably the most notorious soccer player in the state. And he, I think he owns the Fort Wayne team as well up there. So he'd be a great person to get on the show.

Nate Spangle: I did see something about him recently, maybe on Instagram, 'cause they're like bringing a new team or like the, something big with the teams going on up in Fort Wayne.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: This has been an honor hearing your, hearing, your story, learning about, you know, from rock bottom to chasing down this dream. I think that it's an inspiring story to know that it's never too late to go and chase down your dream and to, you know, dream big.

Zach Duke: Yeah.

Nate Spangle: Like bigger than you could have ever even imagined.

Absolutely. And then, but it's all broken down into these little steps, like taking the, the little steps every single day towards your goal. That's what's gonna make big things happen. I had such a great time hanging out with you today. If people wanna find you, where can they do that?

Zach Duke: The simplest and best place is Instagram World Cup.

Dad. I have other channels, but that's the main one that I really go to. Yeah,

Nate Spangle: man, I love it. This has been so much fun. Keep up the good work. We'll be rooting for you. Thank you. I cannot wait to see where this journey takes you. Next.

Zach Duke: Come on. Thank you so much, man.

Nate Spangle: This show is made possible by our friends up at Sweetwater.

Whether you're looking to start a podcast or take your content to the next level, click the link in the description to see all my gear recommendations at Sweetwater. If you want a behind the scenes look at everything we're doing across the state. Make sure you follow me on Instagram and TikTok at Nate Spangle.

Thank you so much for listening and being a part of what makes the Hoosier State. Great. We'll see you next time here on Get IN.